Home / Armenia / Court of Appeals Rejects Shant Harutyunyan and Friends’ Appeal and Leaves the Sentence Unchanged.

Court of Appeals Rejects Shant Harutyunyan and Friends’ Appeal and Leaves the Sentence Unchanged.

The Court of Appeals rejected the Tseghakron Party leader Shant Harutyunyan and his friends' appeal and left the verdict by the Court of First Instance in power.

On October 17, 2014, the Kentron and Nork Marash District Universal Court found Shant Harutyunyan and his friends guilty for acts of hooliganism during a November 5, 2013 protest.

Both Albert Margaryan and Vahe Mkrtchyan were also found guilty for using violence against a representative of the authorities. 3 of them, Mkrtich Hovhannisyan, Albert Margaryan, Vahe Mkrtchyan are also accused of violence toward a representative of the authorities, which foresaw 5 to 10 years imprisonment. Hayk Harutyunyan is accused of hooliganism, unlawful possession of psychotropic substances without the purpose of sale. The prosecutor had demanded that defendant Vahe Mkrtchyan be sentenced to 8.5 years imprisonment, Albert Margaryan with 8 years, Vardan Vardanyan, Liparit Petrosyan, Avetis Avetisyan with 6.5 years, Alek Poghosyan and Hayk Harutyunyan with 6 years, Mkrtich Hovhannesyan 5.5 years, Misak Mnatsakanyan, Armen Hovhannisyan and Tigran Petrosyan with 4 years. Gevork Gevorkyan has motioned that Misak Arakelyan be fined 50,000 AMD.

The Judge Mnatsakan Martirosyan officially sentenced Shant Harutyunyan to 6 years imprisonment, Albert Margaryan also received 6 years, Vahe Mkrtchyan 7 years, Liparit Poghosyan 5 years, Vardan Vardanyan 5 years, Hayk Harutyunyan 4 years 6 months, Alek Poghosyan 4 years, Mkrtich Hovhannisyan 4 years, Armen Hovhannisyan 2 years, Sevak Mnatsakanyan 1 years 6 months, Tigran Petrosyan 1 year, and Misak Arakellyan was fined fifty times the minimum salary.

The defendants do not admit their guilt, noting that there were provocateurs and plainclothes police officers incited the conflict during the rally. Several local human rights activists and international organizations consider the men political prisoners.